Rock Valley College Awards 2013 Faculty of the Year

ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Crystal Dinwiddie, RVC Assistant Professor of Sociology, has been honored as the 25th recipient of the Rock Valley College Faculty of the Year award.

Crystal is a graduate of Rock Valley College and she credits RVC in great part for the student she became, and the person and educator she is today.

“I don't think I would have [been as successful] if it were not for the dedication and motivation of all the people at Rock Valley that believed in me and challenged me to improve. Rock Valley was an amazing turning point in my life. I became a public speaker, a consensus builder, a leader, a writer, a critical thinker...and a sociologist. I left Rock Valley with a set of skills and a social network that would prove invaluable to my future.”

After graduating from RVC, Crystal went on to receive her Bachelor’s in Sociology from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and her Masters in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. She returned to Rock Valley College in the spring of 2007 as an adjunct professor teaching Introduction to Sociology. By the fall of 2008 she was a full-time faculty member at RVC.

She will have taught ten courses by the end of the 2012-2013 academic year, including seven sections of Introduction to Sociology, two sections of Racial and Ethnic Relations, and one section of Urban Sociology. She is also very actively involved in professional development and leadership activities on campus, such as Faculty Association Vice President, Promoting an Inclusive Community (PAIC) Committee member, Community Emergency Response Team member, and Chairperson of the Political Action Committee. She also is an advisor for the College’s Model United Nations team.

Most importantly, Crystal loves what she does and truly embraces the opportunity to make a difference in her students’ lives.

“How many people get to read about and discuss their favorite topics every day? How many people get to shape the futures and bring out the potential of others? When I see a student have an ‘aha moment’ because something in their life suddenly makes sense with sociology, it is like the world stands still for a moment. I can think of nothing better than when a student connects with the course material and asks a fascinating question that leads the class into an amazing impromptu discussion.”

Fellow faculty members, campus colleagues, and family members, were on hand on March 28 as Crystal was presented her award from Dr. Martin Quirk, RVC Professor of History and co-chair of the Faculty of the Year Committee. The RVC Faculty of the Year award winner also receives a monetary stipend from the Rock Valley College Foundation.

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